Nehemiah 13:17

17 I argued with the important men of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing you are doing? You are ruining the Sabbath day.

Nehemiah 13:17 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 13:17

Then I contended with the nobles
The rulers of the city, the civil magistrates, sharply reproved them for their neglect of duty:

and said unto them, what evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the
sabbath day?
by suffering servile works to be done in it, and things sold on it.

Nehemiah 13:17 In-Context

15 In those days I saw people in Judah working in the winepresses on the Sabbath day. They were bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys. And they were bringing loads of wine, grapes, and figs into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them about selling food on that day.

16 People from the city of Tyre who were living in Jerusalem brought in fish and other things and sold them there on the Sabbath day to the people of Judah.

17 I argued with the important men of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing you are doing? You are ruining the Sabbath day.

18 This is just what your ancestors did. So our God did terrible things to us and this city. Now you are making him even more angry at Israel by ruining the Sabbath day."

19 So I ordered that the doors be shut at sunset before the Sabbath and not be opened until the Sabbath was over. I put my servants at the gates so no load could come in on the Sabbath.